The Bunnell Avalanche took a year off

April 12, 2011


April 9, 2012

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Cool before and after photos!

It's because of the lack of snow this year, I hope it's a very WET April and May.
.

my week of rafting in July isnt looking good

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ryanmj
my week of rafting in July isnt looking good

Rafting on sand?

To give an idea of how much snow was last year...
here's a few from April 14, 2010:



and on the other side you really get an idea how big it is:

take note of the tree here:


and find it in this photo:


In 2007 there was almost no snow whatsoever in early April at these locations. Even less than this year.
I didn't take a picture of this exact location... but have some around the area.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/11/2012 10:14PM by chick-on.

Do you think the trail is snow free all the way to Merced Lake?

It might not be totally snow free, but close to it. When I hiked up beyond Little Yosemite Valley a week and a half ago there was almost no snow.

Oh, perect timing for this post! Thanks, guys! I'm going up to Merced Lake this next Wednesday and was wondering whether to bring the micro-spikes just for that section of switchbacks going up the north facing slope just past the avalanche zone. Anybody been up there? It can be briefly icy and scary. But I bet there's a clear path all the way up! Oh and then I'll day hike up to Babcock Lake, but in my experience there's nothing icy to worry about in that section. Awaiting your replies!

(Can you tell that I'm excited about going!)

I climbed up all the switchbacks until it flattens out on April 9th.
Didn't use spikes then. I doubt you'll need anything now.

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Thanks, Chick-on!

A bit more of status/comment for you...

Last year in mid June-ish... Echo Valley and Lost Valley were both near swamp-ish in many places.
In mid-April this year... Lost Valley was already very dry. So... my best guess is that the
entire trek to Merced Lake will be excellent conditions now. Ok, I guess I must say that there
were a number of downed trees just beyond LYV campground and also a few in Lost Valley.
Not toooooo terribly bad... but just thought I'd mention them... they may have gone thru there already
and cut them already though.

Have fun

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chick-on,

What again is the name of the backpacker's camp just below Lost Valley? This time I will write on my map.

Jim

Quote
tomdisco
chick-on,

What again is the name of the backpacker's camp just below Lost Valley? This time I will write on my map.

Jim

You are thinking of Moraine Dome.

(if you can muster it... go to where the two bridges are... hands down... it's nicer there)
(unless you like to camp entirely in the woods)

From that location... look North at the nice shrubbation and think to yourself how I was able to
convince the wife to come down that last year. No wonder she's a little gun shy.

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chick, my permit for requires us to "pass-through" LYV on our first day, past bunnell point -- which means the next valley past lost valley...... me thinks anyway. were you referring to a better camping area in your post above between the two bridges? advice for our first campsite (con photos) would mucho appriciatto'd.

i'm guessing you were referring to the two bridges directly above bunnell cascades? i apologize for inquiring about such a popularly mundane part of the beautiful sierras, but you must realize i'm a midwesterner who made his first yosemite backcountry trip last year (north rim and halfdome) ..... and have been obsessively smitten ever since.

Quote
mtc
i'm guessing you were referring to the two bridges directly above bunnell cascades? i apologize for inquiring about such a popularly mundane part of the beautiful sierras, but you must realize i'm a midwesterner who made his first yosemite backcountry trip last year (north rim and halfdome) ..... and have been obsessively smitten ever since.

This link will take you to a page that has another link with a PDF of all the trail-heads in the park showing how far you have to be from your trail-head before you can camp. http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/trailheads.htm

or you can just click on the "Trailhead Information" link below is the list of links eeek has been kind enough to include.

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Old Dude



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/04/2012 03:47PM by mrcondron.

Quote
mrcondron

This link will take you to a page that has another link with a PDF of all the trail-heads in the park showing how far you have to be from your trail-head before you can camp. http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/trailheads.htm

or you can just click on the "Trailhead Information" link below is the list of links eeek has been kind enough to include.

Here's the map from the link above:

This is photo taken from my tent in the old abandoned campground that you are asking about.


Here are instructions on how to find it. As you leave Little Yosemite Valley campground there will be a sign that says something like "Day use only. No camping for 2 miles." Follow the trail for two miles until you get to another sign that says "Day Use Only" which marks the end of the no camping zone. Look to your right between the trees and you'll see the campsites with fire rings, when you get to the cascade that's the end of the campground. As Chick-on says its in the trees, but if you angle your tent correctly you can get a view of a dome or cascade or in a couple of spots both, and it is so much quieter than camping in the LYV campground. No bear-boxes though, so bring a bear can.

That's the "Moraine Dome Campground". He HAS to go to at least there since he has a LYV/Merced Lake Passthru permit.
He also has to have a bear can since they probably know full well that few go from HI to Merced Lake in one day so
they probably enforce it or insist upon it.

The cascade right there at the "Moraine Dome Campground"... many think that is Bunnell Cascade. Bunnell is
a bit further up the river after you get beyond Lost Valley. The bridges where the Bunnell Avalance is are a bit
further upstream. There is a small cascade there too ... so in either location you should be able to have a
slippy slide experience in lower water times for fun.
Clicky here for map
On this map "Moraine Dome Campground" is just west of the "Falls" ... east of Mile 135

East of Bunnell Cascade... you can see the footbridge marked on the map... that is the footbridge in the photos above...
but there are actually two footbridges...
There is spectacular camping near the oo in footbridge.

I didn't put up a recent photo in the Clouds/Bunnell trip we took recently... but I will find you a nice photo later.

Have fun

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This is the first falls by Moraine Dome:

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wow -- beautiful pool at the bottom of that "water slide". i know my boy (brought him home today from frosh year at IU) will have no problem playing in that cold a## water! the boy has no nerves in his body!!! i just hope i have the cojones to follow him! i know you've posted it before, but can you tell me how to attach a pic? i have one of the boy totally submerged in a side pool in snow creek last june. you'd think with all those flippin' icons above, that one of them would allow me to do so.

Some directions are here:
http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?9,48257,53255#msg-53255

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https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cB9m2SAg6qM/T6VXT_LzBWE/AAAAAAAAAAg/yfinSsViXXo/s144-c/May52012.jpg

did this work?

i think it's a link to picassa, but why is it so small?

Notice the s144-c towards the end of your link - that's their "thumbnail" URL, which is default. Near where you copied this link there's a pulldown with different sizes, select the pixel size you want and it'll change the URL accordingly.

Oh, you can also click on that "Insert Image URL" button above, paste the URL into there, and it'll embed the photo for you.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/05/2012 11:08AM by ttilley.

Wonderful. I never knew that about picasa.

"Oh, you can also click on that "Insert Image URL" button above, paste the URL into there, and it'll embed the photo for you."

that's what i did the first time -- it didn't imbed anything for me -- i clicked the mountain/sun icon and nothing happened -- i then just right clicked in here and pasted the url address i had copied from picasa and ended up with the thumbnail. how do i choose image size????.

Selecting the size is done on picasa, there's a pulldown just below where the link is copied. Its easy though...see the s144-c near the end of your URL? Just change 144 to 640 for the 640 pixel size.

Selecting the mountain w/ sun should bring up a dialog asking for the URL of the image you want. Put the URL there, and it will generate a bracket, followed by img, then close bracket, then your URL, then bracket, forward-slash, img, close-bracket. Like so:

thanks -- but i don't get the dialog box when i click the insert image url icon above. i'll keep trying - thanks for the help!

anyway, for anyone who still riveted to this string, that's a picture of my son displaying a complete lack of nerve endings in snow creek with HD in the background last june. i could barely stand ankle deep without excrutiating pain. gotta break through on our trip next month and take the plunge with him

Quote
mtc
i don't get the dialog box when i click the insert image url icon above.

Do you have javascript disabled?

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cB9m2SAg6qM/T6VXT_LzBWE/AAAAAAAAAAg/yfinSsViXXo/s144-c/May52012.jpg

how's this look?

Take a look at these videos of Bunnell Cascade:
http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,39200

Ca-RAZY amount of water last year in June... I'll post one from this year in April later...

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